New owners revamp Belfair Motel

From left, Belfair Motel owners Miok Kim and Taikyoon Sohn purchased the motel in April 2017 and have completed a remodel that revamped 80 percent of the building. The couple moved to Belfair to run the motel because the town seemed like an ideal place to live.(Photo: Arla Shephard Bull / Mason County Life)

Taikyoon Sohn and Miok Kim purchased the Belfair Motel last year for one simple reason.

The husband and wife owners thought Belfair was a beautiful town with nice people where they could see a prosperous future running a small, family-owned business.

“This area is in the outskirts of Seattle, and it’s a really nice area,” Sohn said. “We moved to Washington and looked because I’ve been thinking of running a motel for a long time. I thought this was a good place for us to live and have a motel at the same time.”

Sohn worked for more than 25 years for a company that dealt in international transportation, and while the couple was based in Utah, Sohn traveled extensively for work.

“We like to travel a lot, actually,” Sohn remarked. “After buying this business, though, we’re not traveling so much anymore.”

A friend working at a motel in the Georgetown neighborhood of Seattle let Sohn know about the motel for sale in Belfair, and Sohn believed it would be the “best fit” for him and his wife.

“It’s a good size, not too big, not too small,” he said. “It’s a good size for a family-run business.”

The couple, who are originally from South Korea, purchased the Belfair Motel in April 2017 and quickly began a remodel that revamped 80 percent of the business, including a remodel of the 28 rooms and front office.

The recently remodeled Belfair Motel has 28 rooms that feature new flooring, repainted walls and new furniture. The owners live onsite to address any issues that may arise.(Photo: Arla Shephard Bull / Mason County Life)

Sohn and Kim ripped out the carpet in all of the rooms, replacing it with hardwood floors, bought new furniture and televisions, repainted the building and erected a new sign.

“It was old,” Sohn said of the motel’s former look. “The furniture looked like it had never been changed for 30 years. That might not be true, but that’s what it looked like.”

The guests and greater North Mason community have praised the motel’s new look, Sohn added.

“Most of the neighborhood, they were really surprised when they saw what we did,” he said. “Every time anyone talks to me, they tell me they like the changes.”

More than half of the guests at the Belfair Motel come from the surrounding area, such as Shelton, Bremerton and Tahuya, Sohn said, while the rest are mainly visitors from out of town who are stopping on their way to the Olympic Peninsula or Canada.

“In the summer, we have many people who stay two, three days and are going to the beach,” he said. “We have many one-day stops on the way to Canada and some workers, like truck drivers who stop for the night.”

The couple, who live at the motel so they can be on call 24 hours for issues, also owns three acres behind the building and envision someday building cabins for families to enjoy, but for now they are content with building their business.

The remodeled front office at the Belfair Motel welcomes visitors from around the world. Owners Taikyoon Sohn and Miok Kim moved to Belfair from Utah.(Photo: Arla Shephard Bull / Mason County Life)

“We have above average booking,” Sohn said. “There have been no problems. We have much more customers than ever. I am happy with the current state.”

Guests can book online through Expedia or Booking.com or by calling the Belfair Motel at 360-275-4485.